… except for the ones that aren’t, such as a whistleblower about contract fraud in Iraq who got picked up in the raid on his company brought about by the information he supplied to the FBI, and held at Camp Cropper:
American guards arrived at the man’s cell periodically over the next several days, shackled his hands and feet, blindfolded him and took him to a padded room for interrogation, the detainee said. After an hour or two, he was returned to his cell, fatigued but unable to sleep.
The fluorescent lights in his cell were never turned off, he said. At most hours, heavy metal or country music blared in the corridor. He said he was rousted at random times without explanation and made to stand in his cell. Even lying down, he said, he was kept from covering his face to block out the light, noise and cold. And when he was released after 97 days he was exhausted, depressed and scared.
Donald Vance continued to be held, maltreated, and denied access to a lawyer for more than two months after the FBI had told the military that he was the whistleblower in the case. Before his release, his captors seemed very interested in whether he intended to complain afterwards. The Pentagon continues to deny that it did anything wrong. No doubt the Justice Department will press for his lawsuit against Donald Rumsfeld to be dismissed, and will probably prevail.
How about some Congressional hearings?
Chuck says
It doesn't sound like he was treated better than if he was in Cook County Jail, with the exception of the lack of communication.
Anonymous says
… and a lawyer and access to a judge, of course.